Cubs trade Chris Martin to Dodgers

They’ll be playing Coldplay songs for Cubs reliever Chris Martin in Dodger Stadium:

It seemed pretty clear the Cubs would trade Martin from the moment they signed him. He’s 36 and on a one-year deal, and likely never intended to be a long-term part of the Cubs future.

This year with the Cubs, Martin has a rather unsightly 4.31 ERA and 1.340 WHIP, though his FIP of 3.02 suggests he’s pitched better than the ERA number. He’s made 34 appearances and walked four and struck out 40 in 31⅓ innings.

Here’s the return for Martin:

Zack McKinstry is 27 and hit .215/.263/.405 in 60 games for the Dodgers last year. This year he’s played in only 10 MLB games, spending most of his time at Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he’s batted .335/.417/.487 (64-for-191) in 48 games.

McKinstry played mostly shortstop in Triple-A, but he has also played second base and third base and left and right field for the Dodgers, as well as shortstop. He was a 33rd (!) round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2016 out of Central Michigan.

This seems a pretty good acquisition for a guy who wasn’t going to be with the Cubs past this year anyway. This deal has not yet been officially announced by either the Cubs or the Dodgers.

It’s unclear as to whether McKinstry will immediately join the Cubs’ 26-man active roster. As always, we await further developments.